Due to an increasing amount of data to be stored, an image forming apparatus is often equipped with a hard disk drive. Since an image forming apparatus is, generally speaking, used communally by a plurality of people, it is necessary to ensure the security of data in the hard disk.
JP No. 2004-139163-A discloses a configuration wherein a unique identification number of an image forming apparatus is stored in a nonvolatile memory which is installed in the image forming apparatus; the unique identification number, when storing data in the nonvolatile memory, is used as a key to encrypt the data, and; the key is used to decode the encrypted data when reading the data from a hard disk of the image forming apparatus.
With this configuration, data in a hard disk of an image forming apparatus cannot be decoded by, for example, installing the hard disk on another image forming apparatus.
Also, JP No. 2005-96082-A discloses a method of disabling the restoration of files that are deleted from a hard disk by overwriting the stored area of the files with dummy data such as 0 when deleting the files, in order to secure the deleted files.
On the other hand, JP No. 2003-58486-A discloses a method of activating an optional routine that is preinstalled as an inactivated state in advance, on condition that an SD card key on which ID data and encrypting data are written is inserted in an image forming apparatus and that the two sets of data are verified to be valid.
However, selection of a hard disk format method may be different, for users who need a process of ensuring security when they first set up an image forming apparatus, and for users who do not need the process until later. On the other hand, understanding and selecting a hard disk format method is not easy for general users, possibly resulting in a loss of user's time.
Besides, users are not aware of a necessity of a process to ensure the security, such as the process above, at first. If a user attempts to perform the process when the user realizes a necessity of the process later, the user has to replace an image forming apparatus with the one with function for such a process, adding a burden to the user.
If a configuration allows for activation of an optional routine in accord with the insertion of a key when a user realizes a necessity of the process with function to ensure the security, with the optional routine preinstalled on an image forming apparatus, there is a high possibility to execute the function by mistake by a user, especially if the image forming apparatus is communal to many people. If a configuration requires users to call for service personnel to execute the process, the cost is high and reservation for the service is required, both aspects being inconvenient for users.